Rotary engine.



No. 801,891. PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905. E. D. MISNER & L. H. MALLALIEU.

ROTARY ENGINE.

AlPLIOATION FILED FEB. 27. 1905.

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E. D. MISNER & L. H. MALLALIEU.

ROTARY ENGINE. APPLICATION FILED FEB. 27,1905.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

No. 801,891. PATENTED OCT. 17, 1905. E. D. MISNER & L; H. MALLALIEU.

ROTARY ENGINE.

APPLICATION TILED FEB. 2']. 1905.

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TINITED STATES PATENT FFIDE.

EDGAR D. MISNER AND LEE H. MALLALIEU, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI, ASSIGNORS, BY DIRECT AND MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, OF TVVO-THIRDS TO SAID MALLALIEU,-ONE-S1XTH TO CHARLES L. PYNE, AND ONE-SIXTH TO HENRY COLEMAN, OF ST. LOUIS, MISSOURI.

ROTARY ENGINE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 17, 1905.

Application filed February 2'7, 1905. Serial No. 24:7.5'78.

T all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that we, EDGAR D. MIsNER and LEE H. MALLALIEU, of St. Louis, in the State of Missouri, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use I the same.

The object of this invention is to provide a rotary engine which will be simple in construction, inexpensive and positive in operation, and capable of using the full expansive force of the steam under the same conditions that exist in the ordinary reciprocating engine, the use of a condenser being unnecessary.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth, and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings, Figure 1 is a transverse sectional view. Fig. 2 is a side view looking from the right of Fig. 1 with the cover-plate removed, one of the pistons being in position to take steam. Fig. 3 is a View similar to Fig. 2, but looking from the left of Fig. 1. Fig. at is a verticalsectional view on line A} I, Fig. 1. Fig. 5 is a plan or edge view of the coacting parts forming the sta- 3o tionary and movable abutments. Fig. 6

shows the coacting parts in the position they occupy when one is passing through the other.

Fig. 7 is an enlarged detail side view of an abutment.

Referring to the drawings, 1 designates the inclosing circular casing, which is shown as having removable end plates 2 and as being mounted on a base 3. This casing is divided centrally by a partition 1 into two circular 4 chambers, within each of which is located a rotary piston 5, fast on a shaft 6, which latter has its bearings in housings 7, extended from the end plates. In Fig. 1 we have shown this shaft as equipped at one end with a pulley 8 and at the other end with a fly-wheel 9.

The central partition 4 is formed with a steam-chamber 10, which extends from the top thereof downwardly and partly around shaft 6, a steam-supply pipe 12 entering at 5 the upper end. This chamberat its lower end opens through opposite ports 13 and 13 into the two piston-chambers, but within the planes of the cylindrical body portions of such pistons. Each of the latter has a steam-chest 14: extending transversely thereof and open at one end, so that when coincident with the steam-ports they willreceive steam from the steam-chamber. These steam-chests of the two pistons are diametrically opposed to each other, so that when one is taking steam the other is about midway of its revolution.

The body of each piston carries an abutment 15, located at its periphery at a point just beyond the supply-ports from the steamchests. Each abutment is composed of a series of plates having flexible wings 16, me senting in plan view the form of a Y. (See Fig. 5.) The solid portions of the plates have dovetail tenons 17, which are fitted in grooves in the bodies of the pistons. Normally the wings are expanded so that they all abut, the outer wings of the end plates bearing against the sides of the chambers. The wings when thus expanded form as a whole a steam-tight -wall, presenting a series of pockets against which the steam will impinge for effecting the rotation of the pistons.

A complementary or corresponding abutment 18 is fixedly mounted within each piston-chamber. Each of these abutments is constructed after the same manner as that hereinbefore described, being composed of a series of plates having expansible wings, the end plates 18, however, being formed in halves, so that the abutting edges of adjacent wings of the movable abutments will when expanded be opposite the pockets formed by the wings of the stationary abutments. This places the solid portions of the plates of the movable abutments in line with the spaces between the plates of the stationary abutments, so that as the former revolve and their solid portions enter between the plates composing the latter the wings of the stationary abutment will be compressed to permit of the passage of the movable abutment, the wings of the latter being also compressed. The several plates of each of the abutments are so arranged that the spaces between them are greater than the thickness of a solid portion, thus insuring the clear passage of one set of plates through the other, as seen in Fig. 6. The shape of the wings is such that the greater the steam-pressure the tighter the steam-joints between the wings of the several plates. The pockets formed by the stationary abutment alternate with those of the movable abutment.

The abutment 18 in each chamber is located to one side of the outlet-port for such chamber, and the relation of the steam-chests of the two pistons is such that steam will be admitted to the chambers only as the movable abutments have passed through the stationary abutments, the latter serving to prevent the direct passage of steam to the escape-ports and confining it between the two coacting complementary abutments. These two ports are indicated at 19 and 20 as being in the lower portion of the central partition 4, the steam passing through them being exhausted through chamber 21.

According to the showing the steam-ports 13 and 13 allow for the admission of steam into the steam-chests 14: of the pistons during one-third of a revolution; but they may be increased in size to admit the admission of live steam throughout a greater portion of the revolution. As each rotary body takes steam during only one-third of its revolution, there is consequently a dead-center of about one-third of a revolution. To overcome this, we have located within the central partition 4: two auxiliary steam-inlet valves 22 and 23, each controlling a port leading from steamchamber 12 into the steam-space of one of the chambers. If in starting the engine it should be found that the steam-chest of one of the pistons is just beyond its respective live-steam port, the respective auxiliary valve is opened to let live steam pass from steamchamber 12 into the steam-space surrounding the piston sufficiently to start the engine. In this way either of the pistons may be started, the two auxiliary valves being located at different planes in the circumference of the engine. These auxiliary valves are necessary only when the engine is constructed to take steam during less than one-half of a revolution.

The operation of the engine is very simple and will be readily understood. Live steam is admitted to chamber 12, and as a steamchest of one of the rotary pistons passes over one of the live-steam ports steam enters such chest and from thence passes through peripheral ports into the surrounding space confined between the stationary abutment and the movable abutment, forcing the latter as part of the rotary piston around until it clears the exhaust-port and allows the steam to exhaust therethrough. As the abutment passes the respective exhaust-portthere is then no steampressure to expand the flexible wings thereof, so that when they pass through or between the plates composing the stationary abutment the wings of both sets of plates will readily compress, permitting of a free passage. As soon as the movable abutment is clear of the stationary abutment the respective wings will assume their normal positions ready to receive a fresh charge of steam.

It will be understood that changes may be madein the construction of our engine without departing from the scope of the invention. While we deem the admission of live steam to the piston-chambers from the interior of the pistons 'as preferable, we do not confine ourselves to this means of introduction, as the same may be admitted at other points.

We claim as our invention-- 1. A rotary engine comprisinga casing having a stationary abutment, a rotary piston mounted in said casing and having a corresponding abutment, said abutments intersecting as one passes the other, each abutment having a series of steam-pockets, and means for admitting steam to the space between the two abutments.

2. A rotary engine comprisinga casing having a stationary abutment, a rotary piston mounted in said casing and having a corresponding abutment, said abutments intersecting as one passes the other, each abutmenth'aving a series of steam-pockets, those of one abutment alternating with those of the other, and means for admitting steam to the space between the two abutments.

3. A rotary engine comprising a casing having a stationary abutment, a rotary piston mounted in said casing and having a corresponding abutment, said abutments intersecting as one passes the other, each abutment being composed of a series of plates having flexible wings, those of adjacent plates being designed to abut to form a series of pockets, and means for admitting steam to the space between the two abutments.

4:. A rotary engine comprisinga casing having a stationary abutment, a rotary piston mounted in said casing and having a corresponding abutment, said abutments intersecting as one passes the other, each abutment being composed of a series of plates having flexible wings, the plates of each abutment being in line with the spaces between the plates of the other abutment to permit one series of plates to pass through or between the other.

5. The combination with the casing and the rotary-piston body, of the two abutments, one secured to the casing and the other to the piston, each abutment consisting of a series of spaced-apart plates removably secured in place, each plate having a solid portion and laterally-yielding wings, the solid portions of the plates of one series being in line with the spaces between the plates of the other series.

6. A rotary engine comprising a casing having a central partition and two piston-chambers, a steam-chamber and steam-ports being formed in said partition, rotary pistons in said chambers having steam-chests designed to register with said steamports, each piston carrying adjacent to the outlets from its respective steam-chest, an abutment, a stationary abutment within each chamber adjacent to the outlet thereof, each abutment being composed of a series of plates having yielding portions so that the plates of one series may pass between the plates of the other series.

7. A rotary engine comprisingacasing having a central partition and two piston-chamhers, a steam-chest and steam -ports being formed in such partition, arotary shaft, two pistons mounted thereon and located in said chambers, each piston having a steam-chest designed to register with one of said steamports, an abutment mounted on each piston, a stationary abutment in each chamber, said abutments being so constructed that one may intersect the other in the rotation of the pistons, and auxiliary means for admitting steam between the abutments in each chamber.

8. A rotary engine comprising a casing having a central partition and two piston-chambers, a steam-chest and steam-ports being formed in such partition, a rotary shaft, two pistons mounted thereon and located in said chambers, each piston having a steam-chest designed to register with one of said steamports, an abutment mounted on each piston, a stationary abutment in each chamber, said abutments being so constructed that one may intersect the other in the rotation of the pistons, said partition having ports leading from the said steam-chamber into planes intersected by said abutments of the pistons, and auxiliary valves for controlling such ports.

In testimony whereof we have signed this specification in the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

EDGAR D. MISNER. LEE H. MALLALIEU. Witnesses:

J. F; MERRYMAN, WILLIAM J OHANNES. 

